Illuminating aero bomb or flare



' 2 Sheets-She S. WILEY INVENTOR E ELmuEl W11 E ATTORNEY Filed July 17, 1924 ILLUMINATING AERO BOMB 0R FLARE Sept l1, 1928.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. WILEY ILLUMINATING AERO BOMB OR FLARE Filed July 17, 1924 Sept. 11, 1928.

61H0: nel* Patented Sept. 1l, 1928.

SAMUEL WILEY, F METUCHEN, NEW' JERSEY.

ILLUMINATING EEtO BOMB 0R FLARE.

Application led July 17, 1924. Serial No. 726,537.

The subject of this invention is an illuminating aero bomb or flare.

In making night landings in unfamilliar territory and for other purposes, it becomes necessary for the pilot of the aeroplane. to drop flares for thel purpose of illuminating the surrounding terrain.

The resent invention is another expression cip the method of igniting the flare through association with a parachute as disclosed in co-pending application, Serial No. 723,371, iled June 30, 1924.

The improvements consist in the provision of a novel form of .igniting mechanism and a release mechanism which will permit the lare to be carried on the wings or the fuselage in a manner similar to the wing tip ares now in use. It also contemplates the formation ofthe parachute container and the light case in separable units, so that upon release of the flare the parachute container will be retained in the launching tube.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the con-struction, arrangement, and

combination of elements, described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Several practical embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the improved Hare;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line V3--3 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of a modied form of flare;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly in elevation;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing an alternate method of forming the cooperating hooks;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional vieW taken through the partition block;

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View showing the firing pin in retracted position; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 4.

the lower end carrying or disposed adjacent a first fire composition 16.

The first fire composition is spaced from a fusible seal 17 to form a chamber for the reception of the free ends of quick-matches 18 introduced into the chamber through inclined apertures 19 in the light case. The quick-matches are disposed along the outer walls of the light case where they are held in place by coverings 20 and re-enter the light case through apertures 21 formed in the upper portion of the case whence they terminate in a passage 22` formed transversely in the partition block 12.

Positioned within the passage 22 is a tubular member 23 formed with a central apertured dividing wall 24 for receiving the overlapping ends 25 of strikers 26, the strikers being normally held together by a Wire 27, passing through apertures in the ends of the strikers, the tubular member and the partition block. The lower portion of the wire may be received in a cup 28 depended from the disc 15 While the upper end is secured to a cable 36 adapted to withdraw the wire from the partition block when the parachute is distended. The wire constitutes a safety mechanism for/maintaining the strikers in unarmed position against the tension of springs 29 coniined between the dividing wall and an enlarged head or collar 30 formed on each striker.

Threaded into the opposite ends of the tubular member are plugs 31, each carrying a primer 32 in an inner recess 33 .and provided with ports 34 for communicating theA ash from the primers to the quickmatches 18. l

The upper end of the light case is closed by a disc 35 spaced from the artition blockto enclose a coiled or folded ca le 36, one end of which is secured to a staple embedded in the block .andthe-other end is knotted as at 37, passed through lthe disc and fastened to suspension cords 38 of a parachute 39 to suspend the flare from a parachute. The apex 40 of the parachute is attached by means of a cord or thread 41 to a bracket 42 on the under side of a top cap 43y inserted within the flared mouth of the arachute container.

The upper side of the cap is provided with ak similar bracket 44 adapted to receive a snap hook 45`on the end of a cable 46 attached to a releasing device, not shown.

The flare is carried by means of loops 47 engageable by a dropping gear which may be located on any convement'portion of the plane.

Upon-release of the flare the cable 46 will fbe drawn taut and pull out the top cap 43 and at' the same time withdraw the parachute 39 from its container. The momentum of the falling flare will be sufficient to snap the attaching cord 41, thereby detaching the flare from the releasing inechanism. The parachute will normally be distended shortly after release and through the sudden 'erk on the cable 36 the closing disc 35 wil be dislodged from the light case to free the cable 36. In straightening out or unfolding the cable will withdraw the wire 27 thus permitting the strikers 26 to be urged outwardly by their springs 29 to prime the primers 32. The

flash from the primers passes through the ports 34 in the plugs to ignite the quickmatches which relay the flame to the first fire composition and illuminating composition and consume the fusible seal 17 A During storage and transportation, the top cap 43 is held in position within the parachute container by a wire 48 attached to which is an instruction tag 49 informing the operator to remove the wire after the fiare has been placed in the dropping gear.

" In the modified form shown in Figures 4 to 9, I contemplate releasing the fiare from a launching tube' and for this purpose aI separable joint is provided between the light case 10 and the parachute container 11 with a view to retaining the parachute container maas-1.ov

which is normally positioned above but spaced from a correspondin lug 53 either formed on the partition bloc 54 as shown in Figure 7 or on the light case 10. Duin transportation and storage the lu 52 an 5 3 are secured in .alignment and he d against rotational movement with respect to each other by a clip 55. This clip is removed prior to placing the flare in thelaunchin tube and 'i a supporting bracket (not shown may be adapted to be inserted between Vthe lugs to su port the flanc. The launching tube is provi ed with suitable mechanism for rotating the light case -10 to disengage the VYhooks 50, whereby to permit the l1 ht case and the parachute to drop from t e plane through the vforce of gravity.

While the structure defined in Figures 1 to 3 in the present disclosure include a plurality firing mechanism to insure ignition of the illuminating composition, I may reduce the firing` mechanism to a single unit b enclosing it in a tube 56 disposed axially o the are and extending from the partition block 54 to the first fire composition 16. This construction obviates the necessity of dis sing quick-matches on the outside of the lig t case andfurther it constitutes a practically instan taneous as opposed to a delay ignition to rmit the pilot of the pla-ne ,to utilize the lre at low altitudes.

Disposed in the lower end of the tube 56.

is a sleeve 57 its lower end formed with an annular fiange 58 seated against the end' of the tube to prevent the sleeve from being pulled upward when the distension, actuates the cab e 70. The flange p ortion of the sleeve is tapped for the reception of avplug 59 carrying a primer` 60 and a quick-match 61. The upper end of the sleeve is formed with a reduced opening 62.

to permit retraction of'the firing pin 63 against the tension of a spring 64 confined between the enlarged head 65 of the firing pin andI the shoulder formed by the reduced opening in the sleeve.

The upper portion of the firing pin is semi-- cylindrical and is provided with a notch 66 adapted to receive a complementary projection 67 on a semi-cylindrical dog 68 which is formed with a collar 69 adapted to seat on theupper end of the sleeve to normally hold the firing pin from the primer 60 against the action of gravity and the spring 64.

The dog 68 is secured to one end of a cable 70, which is fastened to the suspension cords of the parachute so that when the parachute is distended the cablel will serve to retract the firing pin, thereby compressing the spring 64 until the projection 67 clears the upper end of the sleeve (as shown in Figure 8) to be disengaged from t-he firing pin and release the same to prime the primer.

The cable is provided with a stop 71 adapt'- ed to engage the partition block 54 where it arachute, during y serves to suspend the light case from the parachute.

Instead of the fusible seal which is shown in Figure 1, I employ a pressure released disc. 72 on a cap 73 for venting the gases until the temperature of the illuminating composition reaches a suiiicient degree to consume the lower portion of the light case thereby resulting in the removal of the cap 73.

IVhile in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of the invent-ion should only be conclusive when made in the l light of the subjoincd claims.

I claim: 1. A flare embodying a light case, a parachute container, a partition block, means forsecuring the case and the conta-incr to the partition block, an illuminating composition carried in the light case, a parachute carried in the container, a folded cable forattaching the parachute to the block, a tubular member mounted transversely in :the block, said tubular member formed withfa cent-rally disposed apertured dividing Wall, strikers having collars and overlapping ends reciprocally mounted in the tubular member, springs conlined between the collars and dividing wall, plugs closing the ends of the tubular member, primers disposed in the plugs, quick-matches positioned on the outside of the light case and introduced into the case above and below the illuminating composition, a wire insertable through the overlapping ends of the strikers to hold the stril'ers against the tension of their springs, saiil wire being secured to the folded cable and adapted to be withdrawn from the strikers when the cable is drawn taut, a closure for t-he container` a frangible cord connecting the closure and the parachute and adapted to withdraw the parachute when the closure is removed, and a fusible seal for closing the light case.

Q. A flare embodying a light case,a parachute container, a partit-ion block, means for securing the case and the container to the block, an illuminating composition carried in the light case, a parachute carried in the container and attac-hable to the block` a tubular member mounted in the block, said member formed with a centrally disposed apertured dividing wall, strikers having collars and overlapping ends reciproc-ally mounted in the tubular member, tension elements confined between the collars and the dividing w'all, plugs closing the end of the tubular member, primers disposed in the plugs, means positioned on the outside of the light case and introduced into opposite ends for relaying ignit-ion, means for retaining the strikers in unarmed position, and extractable through the agency of the parachute to release the strikers to armed position, a closure for the container, and means for withdrawing the parachute from the container when the closure is removed.

3. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant carried in one portion of the case, a transversely apertured block disposed in the case above the illuminant, a tubular member carried in the block, said member formed with a centrally disposed apertured dividing wall, plugs for closing the ends of the tubular member, primers carried by the plugs, strikers having collars and overlapping ends reciprocally mounted in the tubular member, tension elements confined between the colla-rs and the dividing wall, mea-ns for retaining the strikers in unarmed position, means for releasing the strikers to armed position, and means for relaying ignition to the illuminant.

4. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant and an igniting mechanism carried by the case, a container secured to the case, a closure for the container, a parachute disposed within the container and associated with the igniting mechanism, and a. frangible connection between the parachute and the closure whereby to withdraw the parachute from the container when the closure is removed.

5. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant carried in one portion of the case, a transversely apertured block disposed in the case adjacent the illuminant, a tubular member carried in the block, said member formed with a centrally disposed apertured dividing wall, plugs for closing the ends of the tubular member, primers carried by the plugs, members reciprocally mounted in the tubular member for primin the primers, means for retaining said mem ers under tension, and means for releasing said retaining means.

6. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant carried in one portion of the case, a block disposed in the case adjacent the illuminant, a tubular member carried in the block, plugs for closing the ends of the member, primers carried by the plugs, members reciprocally mounted in the tubular member for priming the primers, means for retaining said member under tensiomand means for releasing said retaining means.

7. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant carried by the case, a block disposed adjacent the illuminant, priming elements carried by the block, strikers reciprocally mounted wit-hin the block, saidl strikers formed with overlapping ends, means for retaining the strikers in inoperative position, and means for releasing the strikers to prime the primers.

8. A flare embodying a light case, an illuminant carried by the case, a block disposed adjacent the illuminant. priming elements positioned in opposite sides of the block, and

. 1,ess,94o

strikers normally under tension and releasl 10. A flare embodying a lightcase, an illuable to rime the rimers. minant carried by the oase, a block disposed 10 9, A are embo ying alight case, an illuadjacent the illuminant, priming elements minant carried by the oase, a. block disposed positioned in the block, strikers reciprocally 5 adjacent the illuminant, priming elements mounted within `the block, and means assing positioned in the block, and 4strikers releasthrough overlapping ends of the str ers to ablein divergent directions for priming the lretain the vstrikers in unarmed osition.

primers. SAMUE 

